When all of the improvements and additions in AGE II are computed to a final sum, AGE II stands out as one of the high points in gaming this year. The word “craftsmanship” is a word rarely seen in discussions of software, but it’s totally appropriate for the level of excellence achieved by the AGE II team. The multitude of artistic and design details, and the remarkable rock-scissors-paper balance of the military units, testify to the devotion the designers have heaped upon this game. I, and I suspect many other gamers, will be playing this one for a tong, long time to come — perhaps even as long as the next age.

Microsoft and developer Ensemble Studios really went overboard to deliver a successor that improves on the original Age of Empires in just about every way possible. Age of Empires II feels like an entirely new game to this bleary-eyed scribe. I'd say Ensemble hit its mark.

There's little doubt that with Age Of Empires II, Ensemble really has set a new standard in real-time strategy gaming. It's very difficult not to sing Age Of Empires II's praises and any game which can boast such gorgeous graphics, decent AI and pathing and long-term replayability is doing well. But Age Of Empires II also offers an authentic medieval atmosphere and a stern strategic challenge. Settle yourself in for some long winter Knights.

All in all, Age of Empires II: Age of Kings stands at the top of the RTS genre. Accurate historical context and massive battles make for fabulous entertainment and the huge amount of different strategy options available will keep your brain active.

Overall, AoE2 is one of the best RTS games I've ever played. I've only played one to date that was as good as it, and that one was also published by Microsoft (Rise of Nations). It's a great starter RTS game for people new to the genre, and just because it's good for them doesn't mean that it isn't good for veteran players, because it is. I've been playing it for well over a year and it's still one of my favorites.

When I some months ago Microsoft had released Age of Empires and later then his younger brother AOE-Rise of Rome, my dreams about the real good strategy came true. Third series of Microsoft`s released strategy start in dark age and finished in post-imperial age. There you can use many new kind of weapons, new map types from really small to really huge and much more variants of terrain, you choose one of the nineteen civilization, chose population limit 50 - 200, but differently from AOE I, you must chose only one way how to achieve conquest. It's because the developing more than one type of weapon or kind of weapon is expensive. For example, if you build strategy on monasteries and improve your monk`s as much as possible, then you have not left enough gold to reaserch any other different weapons {e.g. siege onager`s, bombard cannon`s...}. My impression: The best real-time strategy, how I ever played. Map editor included. Supports all multiplayer variants as before.

Age of Empires 2 is definitely a fun time for all. Or at least it's a fun time for the GW staff. I really haven't had a game get me so fired up in a while, and this one seems to be one that I couldn't go wrong with. If you were a fan of the original AoE, then you're probably going to love this sequel. Just remember that when you are building your people up from the Feudal age: Defense, Defense, Defense. Until next time, folks, please fight nice.

Yes, besides griping about the farm and the lack of single scenarios that's it for complaints. I could go back to describing more of the great features that make Age of Empires II such a compelling experience, from the ability to record games to the improved economic system but alas, I'm about out of space. In a year that has seen few RTS games released Age of Empires II stands high above the competition. In fact, it could stand high in any year. Simply put, this is a great game.

It's very rare for me to actually be so positive about a game, but I just can't find anything seriously wrong with AOK. If you're into RTS, then you're simply going to love AOK. But, be careful with this one, or its mix of great strategy, extensive technology trees and addictive gameplay will distract you from other, less important tasks - like eating.

Sure, some games are fun when they first come out, but I find myself losing interest fast with most of them. Age of Kings, Age of Empires, and the Rise of Rome Expansion Pack are all timeless and they will stay through the “Ages” installed on my computer for many years. The suggested retail price is $54.95 and it is worth the full price. I am already looking forward to an expansion pack for Age of Kings. It will be hard, however, to find things that they left out and can improve or expand upon, but I hope they do. It is rare to find a sequel that is better than the original game it is based upon, especially when the original game was so good. My hat is off to Ensemble Studios and Microsoft for a job well done.

Trivial shortcomings aside, Age of Empires II: Age of Kings is a good-looking and feature-full 2D RTS that manages to provide hours and hours of solo or multiplayer gaming enjoyment. The kicker? With its extremely lean system requirements, you don’t need the latest and greatest computer in order to get in on the fun.

Usually when games come out, they either do very good, fairly well, or are the type that are known but not played. Then later on, when a sequel comes out, the sequel just plain rocks. A good example of this would be the Unreal series. This is the same case with the Age of Empires series. The first Age of Empires was somewhere out there. Then Age of Kings comes around and just rocks.

The game is a beauty to behold and play. The AI may prove to be too great a challenge for some beginning players, though. Otherwise, there is very little I can find to complain about. This is a genuinely well-designed, fun to play game that stands out from most of the other games out there. You won't be disappointed.

In almost all ways, Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings expands and nearly perfects the already proven AOE formula. A few remaining AI and path-finding glitches are a bother, but overall there are very, very few things that one can fault AOE 2 for. This is easily the best RTS game to come out this year, far surpassing the original, and destined to immensely entertain eager RTS fans for a very long time.

It would be incorrect, but not entirely unreasonable, to claim that Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings and its isometric 2D playing field seem just like every other first-generation real-time strategy game ever made. Take away the historical context depicting a millennium of military progress since the Dark Ages, and you'd have a game in which you'd stockpile resources, grow your population, and augment your technology, all to amass an army with which to defeat your enemies as quickly as possible. But even as this model has remained historically relevant for as long as history has been documented, so too is it not liable to stop being the premise for computer games anytime soon. And if Age of Kings is any indication of how such real-time strategy games will continue to improve, then we couldn't be more fortunate.

It is a sequel that is better than the original, with enough new material to satisfy die-hard fans of the original, yet a subtle learning curve to not intimidate new players. The single player skirmish mode coupled with the varied campaigns make for a solid single player experience, and the multiplayer is about as tactical as you can get, which makes a nice change from the typical "tank-rush" of other games. It appeals to people of all ages, and should find fans among the fairer sex, many of whom already play AoE. And it is strangely playable on low-end systems, as well as top of the range hardware. How many games can you say that about?

Overall, though, Age II pretty much covers everything you could want in a real-time strategy game. It's attractive, epic in scope and so endlessly varied that you'll still be dabbling in it two years from now. As the genre starts to embrace 3D, Age Of Empires II is sure to be looked back upon as the last in a dying breed. Without doubt, it is the best and to miss it would be a crime for which you should be hung, drawn and quartered.

Huge, detailed, and fun, Age of Empires II: Age of Kings offers a lot of game bang for the buck. Any fan of real-time strategy games would do well to pick a copy up, and those looking to get into the genre can start with either this game or the one before it. And with expansion packs available for both, chances are good that you'll have to play a long time before you exhaust either title.

The graphics in Age of Kings really are beautiful. Some of the buildings look so grand you'll even feel guilty about burning them to the ground! The attention to detail is stunning, with each civilisation portrayed with painstaking accuracy. The breathtaking artwork really adds to the epic quality of the game. And, despite being such a complex game, the controls are very user-friendly and well explained. Most of the time it only takes a couple of mouse clicks to achieve the desired result and sub-screens are easy to get to. Overall, it runs like a dream.

This is a pretty clean game. There is violence when there is war, but you don't see blood. There are taunts in the game but they are all clean. As for religion, this is the middle ages, the dominant faith is Catholicism, so you build fancy churches and have monks. The churches may vary depending on the civilization you choose. The game is easy to play, it has a nice interface. There are some patches for it. Graphics are nice, they don't use 3D acceleration. The music was nice and the Game play is fun. I can only computer in the easy modes. (But I am getting better) Multiplayer is fun, and you can now save multiplayer games. This is a definite buy!

A very strong and well-themed real-time strategy title that shouldn't be missed. A fun single-player and multiplayer experience with plenty of fresh gameplay and original ideas, despite its adherence to the original Age of Empires formula.

It’s not a significant improvement as far as gameplay and graphics, but it does help further the claim of AOE as a solid gaming title and a quality multiplayer game. The originality may be gone, but the idea lives on.

A rule in movies states that a sequel mostly sucks. As you know this rule doesn't apply on the gaming industry. Unluckily for the movie-industry technology has nothing to do with a great movie. Luckily for us, it has everything to do with great games, provided it has something called great gameplay.

Suffice to say that I’ve been an AOE (Age of Empires) addict since its inception about three years ago. First, I played the single player random map games, and then moved on to the campaigns. Next, I went on IRC and scavenged for challengers, and that’s when I was really thrashed. After a couple of months, I advanced to the Zone (www.zone.com) and got more thrashing. I learnt and still could barely advance in the required 15 minutes that many mentors have told me to do so. I played the game every day for three years without ever joining a Clan because most of them consisted of boys half my age, shouting obscenities at me each time I bungled. Oh well, so much for team play.

This is a rock-solid real-time strategy offering from folks that have a proven track record for providing historically accurate and fun strategy games. Its depth and long list of features will keep even the best empire builders and military strategists busy for months.

Strategy lovers and fans of the first game will want to add this to the collection. Casual gamers who didn’t find the first Age of Empires appealing might want to give it a pass; after all, there’s not enough new here to really make it unique unto itself.